The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for determining the nature of submarine and subterranean reservoirs. The invention is particularly suitable for determining, whether a reservoir, whose approximate geometry and location are known, contains hydrocarbons or water, though it can also be applied to detecting reservoirs with particular characteristics.
Currently, the most widely used techniques for geological surveying, particularly in submarine situations, are seismic methods. These seismic techniques are capable of revealing the structure of the subterranean strata with some accuracy. However, whereas a seismic survey can reveal the location and shape of a potential reservoir, it cannot reveal the nature of the reservoir.
The solution therefore is to drill a borehole into the reservoir. However, the costs involved in drilling an exploration well tend to be in the region of £25M and since the success rate is generally about 1 in 10, this tends to be a very costly exercise.